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History of METI

METI has a long history from the postwar years of recovery to the present day.

METI has been transforming itself to respond to the needs of the times.
METI has a history of responding to the changing needs of society. Therefore, its history is the history of Japan's progress.

In 1949, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was reorganized and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry was established. Its internal subdivisions consisted of eight bureaus: Minister’s Secretariat, Trade Bureau, Trade Promotion Bureau, Enterprise Trade Bureau, Textile Trade Bureau, General Merchandise Trade Bureau, Machinery Trade Bureau, Chemical Trade Bureau, and Iron and Steel Trade Bureau.
In addition, four agencies, the Resources Agency, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Industrial Technology Agency, and Patent Office; eight regional trade and industry bureaus; and four regional coal bureaus were established as external subdivisions.

History surrounding METI Year History surrounding the world and Japan
Establishment of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry 1949 Adoption of the single exchange rate of 360 yen to the dollar
Launch of People's Finance Corporation and the Council for Industrial Rationalization
Mine Safety Law, Industrial Standardization Law Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka Stock Exchanges were founded
Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Act
Operation of Export Credit Insurance begins 1950  
Establishment of Bank of Japan
Commodity Exchange Law, Explosives Control Law
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Law, Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Insurance Law
First Rationalization Plan for the Iron and Steel Industry 1951 Signature of Treaty of Peace with Japan and the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty
Establishment of Japan Development Bank  
Electric Power Development Promotion Law, Enterprise Rationalization Promotion Law 1952 Japan joins the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Inauguration of Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprise, Credit Guarantee Association Law 1953  
Ordnance Manufacturing Act
Gas Utility Industry Law 1954  
Atomic Energy Basic Law 1955 Japan formally joins the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
Act on Temporary Measures concerning the rationalization of the Coal Mining Industry Act on Temporary Measures concerning Coal Industry Rationalization
National Car Concept  
Second Rationalization Plan for the Iron and Steel Industry 1956 Japan joins the United Nations
Law on the Prevention of Delay in the Payment of Subcontracting Charges and Related Matters "The postwar period is over" (as expressed in the Economic White Paper) becomes a catchphrase
Act on Temporary Measures for the Promotion of Machine Industry Signature of Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration, diplomatic normalization
Law on Temporary Measures for Textile Industry Equipment and Related Equipment  
Law on Temporary Measures for the Promotion of Electronics Industry 1957  
Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law, Trademark Law 1959  
Liberalization Plan for Trade and Foreign Exchange 1960 The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded
Commerce and Industry Association Law
Installment Sales Law, Electrical Appliance and Material Control (Safety) Law 1961  
Household Goods Quality Labeling Act, Shopping District Promotion Association Law 1962  
Law for the Development of New Residential Areas
Small and Medium Enterprise Basic Law 1963  
Industry Structure Council Launched 1964 Japan joins the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Electricity Utilities Industry Law Japan becomes an International Monetary Fund Article 8 nation
Law on the Promotion of the Development of Special Regions for Industrial Development
Liberalization of import of finished vehicles 1965 Japan and South Korea sign the Treaty on Basic Relations between the two countries
Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control (abolished in 1993) 1967 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded
The first stage of capital liberalization (liberalization of foreign direct investment to Japan) The European Community (EC) is inaugurated
Basic Law on Consumer Protection, Air Pollution Control Law 1968  
Japan-US textile negotiations started 1970 The Japan World Exposition is held
Establishment of NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law
Water Pollution Control Law, Law on the Promotion of Subcontracting Small and Medium Enterprises
Interim Report of Industrial Structure Council's "Creation of 1970s Vision" 1971 Dollar (Nixon) Shock
Law on Temporary Measures for the Promotion of Specified Electronics Industries and Specified Machinery Industries
Industrial Relocation Promotion Law 1972 Return of Okinawa, normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China
Establishment of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy 1973 First oil shock, Floating exchange rate system
Petroleum Supply and Demand Adjustment Act, Consumer Product Safety Law
Law on the Promotion of Small and Medium Retail Business
Sunshine Project (R&D project on new energy) 1974  
Oil Stockpiling Law 1975 The first summit was held
Very Large-Scale Integrated Circuit Project 1976  
Door-to-Door Sales Act (Specific Commercial Transactions Law)
Moonlight Project (R&D project on energy saving) 1978  
Law on Temporary Measures for the Promotion of Specified Machinery and Information Industries
Law on Temporary Measures for Stabilization of Specified Depressed Industries
Act on the Rational Use of Energy 1979 Second oil shock
Industrial Structure Council's "Formulation of 1980s Vision" 1980 Japan becomes the world's top automobile producer
Law concerning Promotion of the Development and Introduction of Alternative Energy Daiei becomes the first retailer to achieve annual sales of over 1 trillion yen
Voluntary regulation of auto exports to U.S. begins 1981  
Launch of Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform 
Law on Temporary Measures for the Structural Improvement of Specified Industries 1983  
Telecommunications Business Act    
Law for the Facilitation of Research in Key Technologies 1985 Plaza Accord
"Challenges and Prospects for Economic and Industrial Policy in the 21st Century" 1986 Maekawa Report
  1989 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is inaugurated
Action Program to Arrest Global Warming 1990 Unification of East and West Germany
Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources 1991 Collapse of the Soviet Union
Signature of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992  
  1993 The Treaty on European Union comes into effect
Product Liability Act 1994  
Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, Science and Technology Basic Law 1995 The World Trade Organization (WTO) is inaugurated
  1996 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is inaugurated
Adoption of the Kyoto Protocol 1997 Asian Currency Crisis
Law concerning the Measures by Large-Scale Retail Stores for Preservation of Living Environment 1998  
Act on Improvement and Vitalization in City Centers
Guideline of Measures to Global Warming
Act on Special Measures for Industrial Revitalization, Civil Rehabilitation Act 1999 European single currency "euro" is born
Basic Act on the Promotion of Core Manufacturing Technology
Basic guideline for a global warming countermeasures
Top Runner Program
Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, Alcohol Business Law 2000  
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) System  
MITI was reorganized to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) 2001 Reorganization of government ministries into 1 cabinet and 12 ministries
Establishment of Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry(RIETI)  
The first Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Singapore goes into effect 2002 Nippon Keidanren is inaugurated
End-of-Life Vehicles Recycling Law, Basic Act on Energy Policy Act
Corporate Rehabilitation Law, Intellectual Property Basic Act
Establishment of the Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan 2003 Japan filed the second largest number of international patent applications
"New Industry Promotion Strategy" 2004  
Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan 2005 The Kyoto Protocol comes into effect
The Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award Awards begins The first East Asia Summit (EAS) is held
Companies Act Japan holds the Exposition of Global Harmony
"New Economic Growth Strategy", "Outline of Economic Growth Strategy" 2006  
"Cool Earth 50" 2007  
Act on Formation and Development of Regional Industrial Clusters through Promotion of Establishment of New Business Facilities, etc.
"Cool Earth Promotion Program" 2008 Price of gasoline reaches a record high amid skyrocketing oil prices,
Revision of New Economic Growth Strategy Subprime crisis
Act on Promotion of Collaboration between Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry
Development of Japan’s New Growth Strategy (Basic Policies) 2009  
Eco-point system for home electric appliances  
Eco-car subsidy program  
Establishment of Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ)  
Industrial Structure Vision 2010 2010  
Japan’s New Growth Strategy, Three-Step Economic Measures for the Realization of the New Growth Strategy  
APEC Summit Meeting(Yokohama)  
Great East Japan Earthquake; Responses to the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi NPS; Response to the shortage of electric power supply; Dispatch of METI staff to disaster areas; Establishment of the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation (NDF) 2011  
Start of Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy 2012  
Launch of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)  
Establishment of Cool Japan Fund Inc. 2013  
Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act  
Launch of the Electricity System Reform  
Participation in the TPP Negotiations  
Adoption of the WTO Bali Package